Kimchi is a fermented food unique to Korea, primarily comprised of Chinese cabbage or white radish, made by adding various spices to the main vegetable ingredient and then fermenting them. Studying of microorganisms involved in the Kimchi fermentation process first began in the 1930's. Lactic acid bacteria such as the Lactobacillus sp., Pediococcus sp. and Leuconostoc sp. strains, for example, are primarily representative.
Among these, Lactobacillus sp. strains are either homogeneous or heterogeneous fermenting Lactic Acid Bacillus, which can be usually found in animal and human intestinal tracts and are used in the fermentation process of dairy foods and vegetables. Lactobacillus sp. strains maintain intestinal pH to acidic states, thereby inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria such as E. coli or Clostridium, alleviating diarrhea and constipation, functioning immunologically, as well as assisting vitamin synthesis, anti-cancer action and serum cholesterol reduction, etc. It is known that acidophillin, produced by Lactic Acid Bacillus, inhibits the growth of Shigella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E. coli, etc. Also, acidophillin inhibits the proliferation of diarrhea-causing bacteria and normalizes intestinal microflora, thereby stopping diarrhea.
Recently, studies to develop probiotics and animal feed by using such characteristics of Lactobacillus sp. strains have been actively underway. The bacterial diarrhea of domestic and farm animals causes reduced growth rates and death. Thus, to prevent this condition and increase livestock productivity, adding antibiotics to animal feed has become a common practice. However, due to the advent of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the problems associated with residual antibiotics in livestock products, policies that regulate the use of antibiotics in animal feed, and pursue organic feeding and breeding methods of animals, are gaining approval. Currently, the use of probiotics is actively recommended as an alternative for antibiotic use.
European Patent Publication No. 0861905 disclosed a novel Lactobacillus sp. strain, and a pharmaceutical composition and dairy product(s) for treating gastrointestinal diseases comprising the same. WO Publication No. 99/29833 disclosed Lactobacillus paracasei, a strain that is useful as probiotics and a natural drug applicable to food products. KR Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1998–78353 disclosed a novel acid-resistant Lactobacillus sp. strain having harmful bacteria-inhibiting activity and farm animal probiotics comprising the same.